Key to Sarracenia in North Carolina

Key adapted from Weakley (2008). Photos by Krings, unless otherwise indicated. Line drawings from Britton & Brown (1913; An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions). Maps courtesy of USDA PLANTS and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program.

1. Pitchers mostly decumbent; lateral wing of the pitcher very prominent; petals maroon to pink...S. purpurea (excl. S. rosea)

Sarracenia purpurea in coastal habitat (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia purpurea in coastal habitat(Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia purpurea in coastal habitat (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia purpurea in mountain habitat (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia purpurea in mountain habitat(Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia purpurea (excl. S. rosea; see Naczi et al. 1999)
(common; wet savannas, sandhill bogs; Mt, Pd, CP)

1'. Pitchers erect; lateral wing of the pitcher generally not prominent; petals maroon, red, or yellow...2.

2. Pitchers with white (or whitish and translucent) patches near the summit of the pitcher and behind the orifice and/or on the hood...3.

3. Hood erect or ascending; petals maroon...S. leucophylla

Sarracenia leucophylla (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia leucophylla
(rare; introduced to NC [Croatan NF]; wet pine savannas; CP)

3'. Hood arching horizontally over the orifice; petals pale lemon yellow...S. minor

Sarracenia minor (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia minor
(rare [State E, S2 G4]; wet savannas; CP)

2'. Pitchers lacking white or translucent patches near the summit of the pitcher...4.

4'. Petals yellow; pitcher hood 4-10 (-14) cm wide...5.

5. Phyllodia (nonpitcher leaves) many per plant, forming a rosette, 5-18 cm long, strongly curved, usually curving
45-90 degrees; scapes taller than the pitchers; Mt...S. oreophila

Sarracenia oreophila (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia oreophila
(rare [Fed E, S1 G2]; seepage bogs; Mt; late spring to early fall)

5'. Phyllodia (nonpitcher leaves) rare, only a few per plant (if present at all), 12-30 cm long, straight to slightly curved;
scapes shorter than the pitchers; Pd, CP...S. flava

Sarracenia flava (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia flava
(common; wet savannas, sandhill bogs, pocosins; Pd [rare], CP)

4'. Petals maroon; pitcher hood < 4 cm wide...6.

6. Scapes about the same height as the pitchers; hood ascending, leaving the orifice exposed, 1.5-6.5 cm long,
2.0-5.4 cm wide; orifice 2.8-4.2 cm wide; Mt...S. jonesii

Sarracenia jonesii (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia jonesii
(rare [Fed E, S1 G3]; bogs, seeps; Mt; late spring to early fall)

6'. Scapes 1.5-2× the height of the pitchers; hood horizontal, held closely over the orifice, 0.7-4.5 cm long,
0.7-3.9 cm wide; orifice 1.5-3.5 cm wide; CP...S. rubra

Sarracenia rubra (Photo: Krings)

Sarracenia rubra
(uncommon; wet savannas, sandhill bogs, pocosins; CP)

Federally listed taxa—Sarracenia jonesii (Fed E, State E | S1 G3 | NHP | USFWS | Recovery plan)

Habitat. Mountain bogs and streamsides on granitic rockfaces.

Range. Endemic to southwestern NC and northwestern SC.

Status. Of twenty known populations in North Carolina, four remain extant and three of these are judged of good viability by NHP (as of 2010).

Threats. "Wetland destruction, collection" (USFWS).

Notes. There has been much disagreement over the taxonomy of the S. rubra complex, to which S. jonesii belongs (see McDaniel 1971; Case & Case 1974; Schnell 1977; Neyland & Merchant 2006; Mellichamp & Case 2009). Oswald et al. (in press) found the pollen morphology of S. jonesii to be significantly different from that of S. rubra s.s., supporting the treatment of the former as a distinct species.


Distribution (courtesy SE Flora Atlas)	Habit

Pitcher (note ascending hood)	Sepals

Sarracenia oreophila (Fed E, State E | S1 G2 | NHP | USFWS | Recovery plan)

Habitat. Seepage bogs.

Range. Endemic to a small range from northeastern Alabama to southwestern North Carolina.

Status. Of the two known populations in North Carolina, only one is extant and judged of good viability by NHP (as of 2010).

Threats. "Drainage; agricultural conversion; residential development; collecting; fire suppression" (USFWS).


Distribution (courtesy SE Flora Atlas)	Pitchers

Pitcher and hood from back	Inflorescence (note phyllodia & mature scape)